| A lot of people are hesitant to make an investment | | | | Xbox 360, the Apple TV, and several other devices. |
| in high definition DVD technology and for good | | | | While the option of downloading High Def movies |
| reason. Any new technology needs some time to be | | | | does circumvent having to use high def DVD's, it's |
| debugged so that it can function smoothly and | | | | not without its problems. In the case of the Apple |
| deliver the performance that mainstream consumers | | | | TV, it can only get movies from iTunes, it only |
| expect, but since HDTV DVD technology has been | | | | handles video with a resolution of up to 720p, and |
| out for over a year, that shouldn't really be a | | | | the picture that it produces at that resolution is quite |
| concern. The thing that is a concern for many | | | | grainy. The Xbox 360 doesn't really have problems |
| consumers though is that there are two formats of | | | | with the quality of the picture, but the downloads |
| high def DVD's that can't be played with each other's | | | | can take extremely long times- sometimes upwards |
| players. This hearkens back to the days when VHS | | | | of an hour. |
| and Betamax were dueling for supremacy over the | | | | Another option comes in the form of the Vudu. The |
| video cassette market. When the dust settled after | | | | Vudu is a set top box that downloads video from |
| that format war, many people were left with useless | | | | the Internet and then upconverts the video to HDTV |
| Betamax players an no source of new video | | | | resolutions before displaying it on your TV. While this |
| cassettes to play on them. Now there's widespread | | | | does eliminate the need for any kind of DVD, like |
| fear that the same could happen to anyone who | | | | upconverting DVD players, it produces a picture |
| invests in the high def DVD format that doesn't win | | | | that's less than ideal because of the upconversion. |
| the present format war. | | | | Another option still, is to get a high def DVD player |
| There are some things that consumers can do in | | | | that's part of another devices that you want |
| order to enjoy many of the benefits of HDTV | | | | anyway. For example, if you want the latest version |
| movies without actually buying a Blu-ray player or an | | | | of Sony's Play Station video game system, you'll get |
| HD-DVD player. The most cost effective thing to do | | | | the built in Blu-ray disc player. In fact, there's no way |
| would probably be to buy an upconverting DVD | | | | not to get a Blu-ray disc player. If you already have |
| player. This device plays standard definition DVD's | | | | Microsoft's Xbox 360, you can get an optional drive |
| and upconverts the video that comes from them so | | | | that will play HD-DVD's. If you want the video game |
| that it resembles HDTV resolutions. While an | | | | system anyway, either of these two alternatives will |
| upconverted picture isn't as good as a real HDTV | | | | probably cost you less than getting the video gaming |
| picture, it's significantly better than standard definition. | | | | system and a stand alone high def DVD player. |
| This will also provide a way for you to breath new | | | | Whatever you decide, hopefully it should be helpful |
| life into older DVD's. | | | | to know that there are alternatives to investing |
| Another option is to download movies in HDTV | | | | directly in high def DVD technology before you're |
| format. This can be accomplished through Microsoft's | | | | ready. |